Durga Puja Calendar 1976
The Durga Puja festival calendar - from Mahalaya through Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadashami, with the tithi for each day.
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 1976, from Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 23 September through Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on 7 October. September holds the most with 5 dates. The year runs through Shaka Samvat 1897 – 1898.
September 1976
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Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya
Tithi 4:36 AM, Sep 23 – 1:32 AM, Sep 24
The last day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan, and the herald of Durga Puja.
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Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana)
Tithi 1:25 AM, Sep 24 – 10:03 PM, Sep 24
Nine nights of worship of Goddess Durga begin on Ashwin Shukla Pratipada, opened by the Ghatasthapana (kalash) ritual in Maharashtra and the garba and dandiya-raas nights of Gujarat; in Rajasthan the Karni Mata fair at Deshnok and the Jeen Mata fair draw great crowds.
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Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi
Tithi 12:00 PM, Sep 27 – 9:24 AM, Sep 28
Bodhon and Kalparambha — the formal welcome of Goddess Durga that opens the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Saptami
Tithi 9:11 AM, Sep 28 – 7:08 AM, Sep 29
Nabapatrika is bathed and Goddess Durga is worshipped on the seventh day of the puja.
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Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami
Tithi 5:22 AM, Sep 30 – 3:54 AM, Oct 1
The grandest day of Durga Puja, with Kumari Puja and the Sandhi Puja at dusk.
October 1976
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Durga Puja — Maha Navami
Tithi 4:10 AM, Oct 1 – 3:18 AM, Oct 2
The ninth day of Durga Puja, marked by Navami Homa and the final grand worship.
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Dussehra / Dasara (Vijayadashami)
Tithi 3:32 AM, Oct 2 – 3:16 AM, Oct 3
The victory of good over evil — effigies of Ravana are burnt and Durga is bid farewell.
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Ayudha Puja / Saraswati Puja
Tithi 3:32 AM, Oct 2 – 3:16 AM, Oct 3
Tools, instruments and books are placed before Goddess Saraswati and worshipped on Vijayadashami.
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Kojagari Lakshmi Puja
Tithi 6:13 AM, Oct 6 – 8:13 AM, Oct 7
On the Sharad Purnima night, Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped through a vigil for prosperity; in Rajasthan, Jodhpur keeps the night with the Marwar Festival of folk music and dance.
Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).
What happened in the sky in 1976
Beyond the dates the Durga Puja Calendar lists, 1976 brought 4 eclipses - 2 solar and 2 lunar - of which 4 were above the horizon somewhere in India. Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi fell on 28 September, 11 days earlier in the year than in 1975 - a lunar year runs about eleven days short of a solar one.
Eclipses of 1976
| Date (IST) | Eclipse | Hindu date | Seen from India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 3:53 PM | Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Vaishakha Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 14 May 1:24 AM | Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Vaishakha Krishna Pratipada | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 23 Oct 10:42 AM | Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) | Kartika Amavasya | Yes - Sutak observed |
| 7 Nov 4:31 AM | Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan) | Kartika Krishna Pratipada | Penumbral only |
Sutak Kaal was observed for 3 of these. A penumbral (Upachhaya) eclipse is not counted as a grahan.
Guru and Shani in 1976
| Date | Graha | Sign change |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 6:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Meena → Mesha |
| 8 Jul 6:10 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Mesha → Vrishabha |
| 8 Dec 2:40 PM | Guru (Jupiter) | Vrishabha → Mesha re-entry while retrograde |
Jupiter takes about a year to cross a sign, Saturn about two and a half.
Related Calculators
Frequently asked questions about the Durga Puja Calendar 1976
How many festivals and vrats does the Durga Puja Calendar list in 1976?
The Durga Puja Calendar lists 9 dates in 1976. The first is Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Thursday, 23 September 1976, and the last is Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on Thursday, 7 October 1976.
What are the main festival dates in the Durga Puja Calendar for 1976?
The first major observances of 1976 are:
- Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya - Thursday, 23 September 1976
- Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana) - Friday, 24 September 1976
- Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi - Tuesday, 28 September 1976
- Durga Puja — Maha Saptami - Wednesday, 29 September 1976
- Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami - Thursday, 30 September 1976
- Durga Puja — Maha Navami - Friday, 1 October 1976
Which month of 1976 has the most observances in the Durga Puja Calendar?
September 1976 is the fullest month with 5 dates, including Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Sharad Navratri Begins (Ghatasthapana), Durga Puja — Maha Shashthi, Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Durga Puja — Maha Ashtami.
Which traditional year does 1976 correspond to in the Durga Puja Calendar?
The Gregorian year 1976 spans Shaka Samvat 1897 – 1898. The traditional year does not begin on 1 January, so one Gregorian year usually covers the end of one era year and the start of the next.
Did 1976 have an Adhik Maas?
No. 1976 had twelve lunar months with no Adhik Maas, so its festival dates fall in their usual Gregorian window rather than being pushed later by an intercalary month.
Were there any eclipses in 1976?
1976 had 4 eclipses:
- 29 April 1976 - Annular solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 14 May 1976 - Partial lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 23 October 1976 - Total solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), visible in India, so Sutak Kaal was observed
- 7 November 1976 - Penumbral lunar eclipse (Chandra Grahan), penumbral only, so no Sutak was observed
Sutak Kaal is observed only for an eclipse actually visible where you are, so 3 of these were kept in India.
Did Guru or Shani change sign in 1976?
Yes - 3 sign changes among the slow grahas in 1976:
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 25 February 1976
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Vrishabha on 8 July 1976
- Guru (Jupiter) entered Mesha on 8 December 1976, moving retrograde
Jupiter takes about a year to cross one sign and Saturn about two and a half, so these transits colour the whole year rather than a single week.
Are these 1976 dates the same everywhere?
The dates follow the standard Indian sunrise-based calendar. Because a tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment rather than at midnight, an observance can fall a day earlier or later where sunrise differs - most noticeably outside India. Set your city in the box at the top to see the start and end times in your own local time, and check the daily Panchang for the exact window on the day.
About the Durga Puja Calendar
The Durga Puja festival calendar - from Mahalaya through Maha Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadashami, with the tithi for each day.
Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Use the year links to plan ahead into the coming years or to look up a date from the archive.
This list is the festival dates, not the daily five limbs. For sunrise, Rahu Kalam and the day's yoga, open the Panchang. Other calendars are on the Calendars index. The story of a fast is under Vrat Katha.
